[masterjediama]

I'm doing a research paper on how Linux is better.
Anyone have any ideas?

[bellaire]

This is a reply I posted after criticizing Linux for being unfriendly and getting a torrent of replies most of which missed the point I was making in that there should be and enthusiasts Linux and an invisible Linux that you just use.


Well that stirred up the hornets nest. You obviously do not tolerate criticism of your religion by a non believer, read on! Most of you who replied have illustrated my point better than any words I could write. "Four word yeah (sudo apt-get install) that is difficult" - of course it is not difficult but it beats me why if one word will do why use four? It is like using a combination lock every time you want to switch the light on, come on guys think, one flick of a switch and I can read my book I don't want to have to remember 1234 to switch on the kitchen light and 4567 to switch on the lounge light. In my case (clearly not yours) the computer is a tool not a play thing, I want to use it to get emails pull, write reports etc. I am not the slightest bit interested in the underlying OS. If I buy a saw, I want it to cut wood, what type of steel it uses or whether it has a hickory handle is not interesting.

So back to the argument, I do not have a problem with other people using Linux I just have to admit they are cleverer than me and there are lots of people who fit that bill but there are many who are like me and Linux is passing them by, and that is a shame as it is robust, it is open source and it is a fantastic operating system however just as many of you are sold on command line operation (I do not have a problem with that) whether or not you like it, there are MORE people who are not! It would be nice if Linux could address that market.

Before you say "it does by having a pseudo windows interface" I come back to my original point if all you want to do is run a program then providing it is already installed on your Linux machine then it works and works well. I wanted to install Thunderbird and I reckon it took me 4 hours, I do not want to learn Linux I just wanted to access my emails!

Sorry guys but there is no point keep banging the drum for Linux if you want more market penetration you are going to have to make a version that is much much more user friendly and if you do I and half the world will come into your fold immediately. Chris ---End

[Laral]

I'm completely new to linux and when I started about 3 ago knew absolutely nothing. Yet 3 weeks on I'm starting to get to grips with all of the requirements of linux and how to go about getting them. It's like anything new, at first it seems a bit alien, then it becomes second nature. So in response to your comments about how difficult it is to use linux, I'd have to refute them (there's a fantastic community which offers plenty of support).

Secondly the learning curve is worth its weight in gold, as at the end of your toils you have a computer that works far better than one with windows installed and it's all completely FREE. It's far less vulnerable than windows. I was personally sick of my computer crashing (very often) and tired of it being under constant attack.
The fact that it is free is not only good on a personal level, but you're also doing your bit to fly in the face of the corporate nightmare in which we are forced to live. Also think about folks in poor countries and how they benefit from not only a free OS but all of the free applications.

Do you mow your own lawn, or pay someone to do it for you?

[techieMoe]

We discourage threads that espouse one operating system over another. "Better" is relative. For some it's Windows XP, for some it's Mac OS X, and for most of us here at LinuxForums, it's Linux. Use what works best for you. If you can't find merit for Linux on your own, we certainly won't be able to convince you otherwise. Locked.